¹After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him , and set his seat above all the princes who were with him .

²All the king ’s servants who were in the king ’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman , for the king had so commanded concerning him . But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage .

³Then the king ’s servants who were in the king ’s gate said to Mordecai , “Why do you disobey the king ’s commandment ?”

⁴Now it came to pass , when they spoke daily to him , and he didn’t listen to them , that they told Haman , to see whether Mordecai ’s reason would stand ; for he had told them that he was a Jew .

⁵When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow down nor pay him homage , Haman was full of wrath .

⁶But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai ’s people . Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai ’s people .

⁷In the first month , which is the month Nisan , in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur , that is , the lot , before Haman from day to day , and from month to month , and chose the twelfth month , which is the month Adar.

⁸Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed amongst the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom , and their laws are different from other people ’s. They don’t keep the king ’s laws . Therefore it is not for the king ’s profit to allow them to remain.

⁹If it pleases the king , let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king ’s business , to bring it into the king ’s treasuries .”[#3:9 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces]

¹⁰The king took his ring from his hand , and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews ’ enemy .

¹¹The king said to Haman , “The silver is given to you , the people also , to do with them as it seems good to you .”

¹²Then the king ’s scribes were called in on the first month , on the thirteenth day of the month ; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king ’s local governors , and to the governors who were over every province , and to the princes of every people , to every province according to its writing , and to every people in their language . It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king ’s ring .

¹³Letters were sent by couriers into all the king ’s provinces , to destroy , to kill , and to cause to perish, all Jews , both young and old , little children and women , in one day , even on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month , which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions .

¹⁴A copy of the letter , that the decree should be given out in every province , was published to all the peoples , that they should be ready against that day .

¹⁵The couriers went out in haste by the king ’s commandment , and the decree was given out in the citadel of Susa . The king and Haman sat down to drink ; but the city of Susa was perplexed.